NIBS is a not-for-profit volunteer run organisation as an Incorporated Association.
Decisions about the shop are made democratically by the NIBS board which meets every month. Board members generally reflect the diversity of NIBS supporters, drawn from the ALP left, the Greens, trade unions, and socialist/anarchists groups, as well as independent and retired activists.
The shop is staffed completely by volunteers who usually do a 3-4 hour shift a week. You can inquire about volunteering by contacting the coordinator at nibscoordinator@gmail.com
Current Coordinator – Jonathan Rutherford
The Committee employs one part-time Coordinator, Jonathan Rutherford, responsible for the day-to-day running of the shop and taking a lead role in organising our events and fundraising events. Jonathan has had a long interest in left ideas, and identifies as an eco-socialist. He hopes NIBS can be a community space for dialogue and debate about the big issues confronting the left.
Current Committee Members:
President – Cavell Zangalis
Union life began in my first years, early 60’s, as teachers were amongst the first “professionals” to take industrial action in sustained campaigns.
Late 60’s and 70’s campaigned for the formal teaching of English to new arrivals from inner suburban schools and development of multicultural initiatives and projects (possible during the Whitlam years). Later in the 80’s coordinated statewide multicultural programs, before returning to schools as principal in the Kennett years. Founding principal of Melbourne Girls’ College. I wasn’t very obedient. Retired injured.
NIBS became my next project, first with Jeff Sparrow and then Seb Prowse. Pioneering fundraising events such as a sophisticated (for the time) BookFair, Comedy Debates, Quiz Nights and even some catering years, kept us afloat – its been a wonderful journey with a huge number of great people who gave their time and talents and books to NIBS – a continuing tradition in a changing setting.
Treasurer – James Krumrey Quinn
James is a lawyer with a keen interest in anarchism developed through his exposure to the left-wing community in London, including friends and organisations such as the Haldane Society for Socialist Lawyers and the Hackney Community Law Centre, and through time spent in Palestine and helping the Australian Western Sahara Association here in Melbourne.
Secretary – Theresa Cahillane
Board Member – Marko Beljac
Marko is a member of the Board, a volunteer but also a long and frequent customer. He currently teaches at Swinburne University of Technology and is active in the trade union movement, the global justice movement, and has a growing passion for ecological thought and action to a not inconsiderable degree instilled by the NIBS Coordinator. He writes freelance on just about everything and would like to see a society based on a federation of worker owned and managed enterprises distributing resources on the basis of need and living in peace and harmony with the organic and inorganic world.
Board Member – Ciaran Tully
Ciaran Tully is a socialist and undergraduate studying Philosophy and History at Swinburne University and Spanish at RMIT. He began volunteering at NIBS in early 2015 and particularly enjoys the large amount of quite reading time volunteering affords him.
Board Member – Adrian Graves
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